INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION campusreview. com. au
The agents of quality
Recruiters have become an essential part of business for the sector overseas but there is a long way to go before a consistent service standard reigns.
By Brett Blacker
Much of the success of Australia as a preferred destination for students across the globe has relied on a professional network of in-country agents acting as ambassadors for various educational offerings.
The quantum of students now recruited through education agents across the various sectors in Australia differs, but all sectors have a high reliance on this channel. In the case of universities, for example, the Australian Universities International Directors’ Forum( AUIDF) annual benchmarking survey indicates that more than 60 per cent of international student commencements have been supported by education agents over the past five years.
As the global education landscape becomes even more competitive, it is essential this channel is respected and, like everything in higher education, supported by effective quality assurance. Any future model needs to be fit for purpose, based on the unique attributes of Australia’ s system, and should support the requirements of the Education Services for Students Overseas( ESOS) Act and the National Code.
HOW AN INDUSTRY DEVELOPED The Australian Government has helped develop the industry through both financial aid support( development and scholarship) and offshore posts( diplomatic missions and foreign affairs) as well as policy decisions relating to access to Australian education and visas.
Reflecting on the recruitment path of Australian institutions over the past three decades, it is clear that the engagement and role of agents in the recruitment of international students has evolved from necessity, rather than forward planning.
Here’ s what happened. With the introduction of the Colombo Plan, the interest in Australia from overseas students increased dramatically. The level of growth was not anticipated, but was fortuitous and the sector welcomed it. The general view at the time was that the influx of students was due to the aid and subsidy programs; however, the private or fee-paying segment was growing in parallel and at potentially higher rates due to English language Intensive Courses for Overseas Students( ELICOS) enrolments. These private students did not always have access to the same support as funded one, but required equal assistance from institutions and other agencies to navigate the enquiry and visa pathway.
Austrade, the Australian Government’ s trade, investment and education promotion agency, initially took the lead role in providing information, albeit limited, to prospective international students offshore. However, it quickly became apparent that student demands exceeded the government body’ s capabilities. Counselling, testing of English language skills, liaising with institutions, completion of applications for admissions and visas, were out of the scope of Austrade’ s role and it was at this time that many institutions commenced contracting recruitment agencies to fill the void.
Substantially supported by full fee-paying students, the 1980s brought increases in the export of Australian education services across all sectors. As documented in Making a Difference, Australian International Education, from 1986 – 89, tertiary sector enrolments grew by 2560 per cent( from 255 to 6784). In contrast, enrolments in the non-formal sector, private colleges and( ELICOS) institutions, grew from 4284 to 27,047, over the same period.
Australian educational institutions, whilst appreciating the social and cultural benefits of this diverse stakeholder group,
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